Recipe for Understanding
by Eris Goddess of Discord
Summary: Joyce and Tara spend some quality time.


**DISCLAIMER: **No infringement of copyright is intended. You know the drill, anyone appearing on or mentioned on BtVS are ME's.

**RATING: **K

**PAIRING:** Tara and Joyce

**SUMMARY: **Joyce and Tara spend some quality time.

**WARNINGS and or SPOILERS: **None

* * *

**Recipe for Understanding**

_by Eris © 2004 — All rights reserved._

Tara dashed about the Summers' kitchen, attending to the assorted delectable dishes in various stages of preparation as Joyce sat sipping her cup of tea, gingerly watching the girl gliding through the tasks with skilled ease, tweaking the flavors and testing the doneness of each creation.

"Mmm, those apples smell scrumptious. What's your secret?" she inquired at the mouth-watering aroma filling the air.

"Thank you," Tara replied, a ball of excitable energy. "I added a touch of lemon and some brown sugar, t-to, you know, kick it up a notch," she smiled crookedly, completely in her element. "And later, when we take them out, i-if you sprinkle some shredded cheddar over them, you won't really know what's happening in your mou--" Suddenly her hand shot up to her temple and she registered shockface, releasing a small gasp. "The caramel! Shootshootshootshoot!... We're running out of time," and she was off again grabbing for new pots and utensils, making room on the burners.

"Tara, it's okay, honey. Buffy will live if she doesn't get a caramel drizzle," she assured with a chuckle, but Tara was determined to get it done and done right for Buffy's special dinner party.

Joyce just smiled at her conviction, completely taken aback by the blonde, who at first, second, and hell, even third impression was timid, overly quiet, and at times, even seemed perhaps to be a bit slow. It was with this preconceived notion that she had been hesitant to allow her to help when Willow offered up the suggestion for the dinner party assist.

However, looking back, she was grateful she had agreed, as her schedule at the gallery became dreadfully hectic this week, and she was unwilling to admit, even to herself, that she needed a helping hand, and now, now she was in love. Tara was anything but slow and certainly knew her way around a kitchen like a pro, timing everything just so to a synchronized culmination. She barely had to lift a finger, leaving the duties in capable hands, hands she could thankfully entrust, unlike her own flesh and blood brood, not to break the china, or dry out the meat, or scald vegetables, or blacken the dessert, or...

Until today the two had never spent any alone time, never really having an opportunity, and Joyce never really knew anything more about Willow's little friend other than her name was Tara, and that she always presented herself in a kempt and ever so polite manner, and that Willow had met her at some kind of Wicca thingy at school. So, during their time together they engaged in getting-to-know-you talk, whereupon the girl was unexpectedly open, revealing much about herself and her family, most of which made Joyce's heart ache for her, then fill with respect at what she had overcome and accomplished.

The phone rang twice then silenced, startling the chefs, who laughed nervously. This was Willow's signal that she and Dawn could not distract Buffy any longer and they were homeward bound. Joyce checked the clock. Right on time. Rising, she walked over to the sink, rinsed her cup and placed it on the drain board just as the stove alarm went off. She moved to attend to it, but Tara flew past her declaring, "I got it." The stove door already opened, pot-holdered hands pulling out the meat to be counter cooled before carving.

Joyce fidgeted, feeling somewhat useless in her own kitchen and asked, "So, how are we doing?"

"Everything's on schedule," Tara replied testing the meat for tenderness with a fork.

"Oh, that looks perfect! Everything is so perfect," Joyce commended eyeing the flawlessly browned main course, giving the girl's shoulders a big appreciative squeeze. "I bet your mom was really proud of you." She then stroked her hair, and Tara beamed at the praise from the older woman.

Together they set the table and laid everything out prettily like a page from _Martha Stewart Living_. When done they took a moment to admire their work, and Joyce declared, "It's beautiful. We've never had a more perfect table." She hugged Tara again, holding her just as Buffy, Dawn, and Willow could be heard to enter the foyer, then added, "Thank you, sweetie. You're going to make someone a wonderful wife someday."

Tara blushed beet red, played with her bracelets, and lowered her head to secret a crooked smile from behind her hair at an approaching someone.


End file.
